Rowlands Pharmacy launches first outpatient dispensary

Rowlands Pharmacy has announced the opening of its first outpatient dispensary in Merseyside after winning a seven-year contract with an NHS trust.

The company will be providing dispensing services for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust after winning a competitive tender in March, with the partnership set to deliver efficiency improvements for the trust, reports Chemist and Druggist.

Key elements of the outpatient dispensing model, which was developed in collaboration with the trust, include the adoption of the Ascribe patient medication record system.

By outsourcing this function to Rowlands, staff at the trust will be able to focus on improving services for inpatients.

Rowlands outpatient dispensing project manager David Young said: "Not only did this make clinical sense, from a reporting and financial point of view it has meant that we now have a completely transparent service for both parties."

The company is part of the Phoenix Group, which is based in Germany and is one of the top five pharmaceutical wholesalers in the world.